Mama Tried
by Wicked R
Summary: Frigga is hellbent on getting her Loki back, no matter what. Post TA, one of those prison fics, written dozen times over, yet different.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Mama Tried

Disclaimers: Purely for fun only. Genre: hurt/comfort you glorious! Traditional sickfic, in the way I usually write it! ;)

Rating: T but with adult themes.

Summary/Set: Frigga will get her Loki back, no matter what. Post TA, one of those prison fics, written dozen times over, yet different.

Pairing: Surprise!

Note: The title is a reference to Merle Haggard's song,"Mama Tried" that expresses the feelings of its guilt-ridden relator, a rebel child, who ignores his mother's pleas and ends up in prison serving "life without parole." The respect the jailed man gives his mother comes across in the lines and offers hope for redemption in the dreariest of circumstances.

Frigga didn't know how much torture it was exactly for Loki to sit not just physically confined into a small area he could cross with four-five wide steps, but with his powers largely restricted and crippled by the forcefield as well. What she did know for sure, was that the anguish she herself felt when seeing him detained, depressed, miserable and discarded could not be too far from how he was feeling. The grief she felt for the lost young man could be crippling and it was only by using illusions when performing her queenly duties alongside Odin that she could conceal her heartache and the resentment she felt against her husband for forbidding her to be with and comfort her adopted son. It was one of the reasons she didn't project there every day, not even every week, but there was also the fact that she couldn't bear to see him so defeated, so lost and angry, arguing with her at every turn and blaming her for things she already felt guilty about even though she had no choice in the matter when they were happening. But on this day Odin was on Alfheim and so far, unusually, nobody has asked for audience with her in the morning. She could use the free time to visit Loki.

Putting up some magic wards to warn her of someone approaching her rooms, she turned to the small platform she used for the staging of her projections and sighed, mentally preparing and strengthening herself for what she was about to experience next. When the spell was done, she was as if standing quietly with clasped hands by the prison cell's forcefield, but inside, yet still felt almost like looking in. She was not surpised to see Loki lying on his cot on his back, with his hands placed casually over his stomach. He was motionless, staring without blinking at the white, unchanging ceiling. Shaking her uneasiness over the worrying sight, the queen took comfort in the fact the books were not stacked up untouched in the corner, but some were strewn about the room, opened at various pages. Like one was by the bed, another one on Loki's chest turned down, one at his feet. They were clearly in use.

The breakfast that Frigga personally made sure was comprised of the finest gathered honey, blend of butter, freshly baked bread and revitalizing tonic, lay untouched however. It was only occasionally that the crowned head could see to changing the convict's rationed, coarse and unsanitary staple to something more fitting for a prince, so the allmother was somewhat upset and weary that Loki had not given the food any consideration. By the looks of it, he was even thinner than last she'd seen him a couple of weeks ago and the unsettling, throbbing light of the forcefield didn't do his sallow, anaemic complexion any favours. Yet it was almost like a pity to address him. He seemed relatively at peace for the moment, while whenever they talked they ended up disagreeing, with Loki riled up and shaking with emotion. But if there was anything at all she could do to help him, she needed to know. "Loki.." She breathed, her voice a mix of affection and sympathy.

"My queen." He answered back on an even tone, without turning, as if he had been aware that the whole time she had been standing there.

Frigga shook her head, but decided to disregard the form of address for now. No more repeat spats needed. "I am sorry I could not come earlier my darling. Your…Odin has caught on I'm afraid. I will need to be more careful in the future."

"You know he's wrong, but you're not daring to defy him?" Loki piped up mockingly.

"I have defied and fought you…Odin in many matters over the centuries, some of state importance, some trivial. I have especially disputed his various plans and decision to do with his sons and I have successfully swayed his mind about a good number of such issues. These actions however, almost always required a lot of time. He will not permanently stop me from seeing my child, but for just now, I need not anger him so he can mellow on his own. In the meantime, if you would like some different writing instruments to finally start that journal, any genre of books that would interest you, a potion to ease your mind.."

"Offering a magazine or something, hm?" The once king mused, "not unlike Fury."

"What?" Frigga looked at him confused.

"None of these little offerings make any difference to the injustice Odin deals."

"What would you have him do with you? There were innocent people, Jotun and Midgardian perishing at your hands. Not even I could, would or advise anyone to ignore such a thing," Frigga had to defend the truth.

"When will Odin also put himself in a cell down here for the same crimes?" Loki arose to lean on an elbow, looking his visitor in the eyes for the first time since her arrival, "disguise such behaviour under the pretext of diplomacy and war and all of a sudden it's all noble and respectable!"

"There is a fine line between advisability and cruelty, that is true," Frigga appeased him, "and my husband is experienced enough to walk it precisely on the right side of the edge. Knowledge that we were sure you held much conceivably than your brother."

"Not my brother," Loki retaliated immediately when the queen forgot for a moment he did not like those forms of addresses that reminded him he wasn't born into the family.

"Thor had to learn fast and I am sure you will too," Frigga sighed.

"What for? I'm to rot in here till the day I die."

"No," Frigga disputed, "not if I can help it. Perhaps it will take a long time, but I will change Odin's mind, I promise you that. Now if you could just let me help you in the meantime? Eat a little, keep your strength up. Or the very least, occupy your mind. I am afraid you will go mad in here idle if you don't," she took the tray from the table and took a few steps with it towards the bed. "Sit up my child, let me show you what a great year it was for honey collecting from the multitude and variety in flowers around the whole of Asgard."

"I'm supposed to occupy my mind with flowers?" Loki gave her a disapproving stare.

"It will have to be the little pleasures of life for just now," Frigga pleaded with him, hesitating. For the look Loki gave her, the breakfast was soon to end up all over the floor.

"Pleasure yourself elsewhere," the prince lay back onto the cot, resuming his staring up at the ceiling and ignoring her.

"I am here if you need me, remember that." The allmother set the tray back where it came from, resigned. Arguing with him wasn't doing any good, he was pushing her away and forcing the issue was upsetting both of them. "If there's anything you need or you would like to talk to me, you can trust some of the guards to relay the message. Edrionrofn, Ainnirveid and Mjiolsvall will be kind enough, I have made sure of that. The prison chief also."

"Pity is not an emotion I am intending to exploit." Loki answered gruffly.

"I love you," Frigga sighed, frowning regretfully before withdrawing her projection.

At her exit, Loki allowed himself a wince and turned to his side, curling up. Not showing weakness was getting increasingly difficult with his rising nausea. His stomach was cramping exceedingly painfully and he knew he was moments away from throwing up, even though it will not bring any relief.

Tbc


	2. Record

Chapter 2: Record

"Forgive my interruption Allfather, but the chief curator of the dungeons in requesting unscheduled audience. He says it's an urgent matter." One of the guards standing by the door reported. Frigga's head snapped up, her seiðr immediately letting go of the projection of the plans for the new Alfheim school of dance she had been asked to oversee the building of. Not that Odin was paying much attention to her architectural designs anyway. At his morose nod as clearance, the guard opened the door to let a hasty warden in.

"I apologise for the intrusion, Sire," the curator knelt, "we weren't sure how to proceed without your counsel, your Majesty."

"What is it then?" Odin snapped.

"We are not entirely certain, but we have cause to believe that your son is very ill. We would get a healer in for him, but he's supposed to stay solitary and we are also afraid he might be tricking us with illusions of his illness. But there's no other way we could tell other than letting a healer decide."

"His confinement was constructed to restrict his magic to nothing but basic uses, was it not?" Odin pursued.

"It is Loki. He might've developed some new skills," the custodian argued.

"I could tell if he did!" Frigga stood, eager to be allowed to see her son for once. Especially if he was indeed unwell. "To a great extent, I can identify the signature of his magic. If not, my preparation as a healer should make do at any case."

"An commonplace healer will do," Odin waved her off, "we aren't gratifying trickery with the chance of him seeing you."

"If it is trickery, he will try to harm the healer or guard entering. He will not harm me. I shall see him," Frigga stepped down the stairs, not waiting for Odin to disagree with her. If he was going to stop her, he would have to do so using physical force and even then, she would be unwilling and potentially disobedient. The allfather was wiser than chancing such a power struggle in front of his subjects. "How is Loki? What happened?" She followed the guard trusted with overseeing the prison.

"We weren't allowed to check, but we think the prince could be unconscious. He hasn't been able to keep anything down for the last week and he stopped trying a few days ago."

"Why haven't I been informed of this!" She scolded, horrified.

"He is normally very unresponsive to any kind of verbal approach, so we didn't realise he was in a more dire condition till he started seizing while throwing up bile. But he has calmed," Folkvar, the chief guard added hastily.

Frigga waved indignantly, "send for Fresno and Lifa." She asked for two trusted healers as she never intended to attend to Loki alone. The Allmother rushed ahead, covering the remaining distance within a couple of minutes. In person, she has never been to the cell, but she knew the way. "Screen down," she shouted at the guard on duty in the same hurried manner and didn't stop till she was kneeling by the cot Loki lay limply on, his head slightly off the mattress as it would've been when he threw up. The green tinge of his skin and his sweaty, messy hair alarmed her before touching him, but when she felt his cheek and forehead and his raised temperature, she knew that her instincts were not wrong, that Loki indeed was very sick. "Darling," she tried to wake him by gently shaking him. "Get ice," she ordered the guard, but didn't wait for it. As much as her magic allowed, she made her hands as cold as possible and placed them on his chest, and respectively, his forehead, which is how she would wait for either the healers or the ice to arrive, whichever came first. "I asked if you needed anything," she sighed, clearly aware now that during her visit just two days before, Loki must've already been seriously ill.

There was no response as such, but the prince soon started shaking and moaning weakly in a way she heard only for her close distance. His legs jerked up, towards his abdomen, curling over it, making it clear for Frigga where he was hurting. Motivated by the idea that the cold would possibly help him there, the queen lifted Loki's shirt off his stomach and placed her cool palms there instead. The evidence of cramping and churning was immediately obvious, so she sent a wave of magic to soothe the pain. Loki relaxed, but only for a few moments till his stomach cramped up again, spasms strong and evident under her fingertips. Another wave of magic was needed, stronger this time and yet it didn't alleviate the constricting bowels for very long.

Frigga rubbed round the bellybutton, hoping a physical massage in addition to the pulses of magic Loki was unable to help himself with due to the restricting prison forcefield, would aid her efforts, but the patient whimpered instead, stomach becoming rock hard at the touch, its seizing travelling down to jerking legs and halting breaths. The vanir panicked at seeing a beloved family member in such pain and quickly removed her hands. "Help him, he's in agony," she breathed, tears in her eyes as Lifa, the first of the healers called for, arrived. "His stomach, I think."

The young looking, but experienced healer nodded solemnly, already sensing the feel of is asthenic and ebbing aura. Having witnessed the previous dealings, she didn't touch Loki when she placed her hand over his midsection and channelled a more convergent healing magic than that of Frigga's to give the patient some temporary retrieve while she searched for the cause of his illness in his lifeforce. Frigga could see him slump, some of the tension leaving him, but it didn't make her relax. It was hard to determine which sight was more disturbing, him in that amount of pain, or influenced by someone's magic to that extent, like a marionette, unable to use his own. She squeezed her own fingers in distress while Lifa examined him.

"We need to get him to the healing rooms," the expert established, "he is too far gone for potions and healing stones to be sufficient."

Frigga shook her head, exasperated and instinctively reached for Loki's limp hand as if she could protect him that way, "Odin will not allow that."

"Then if I may, I propose you try convincing the Allfather if he does not want a death sentence dealt," the healer searched her bag for available medicament, "the strangulation of his magic, not even allowing his own healing to function, is killing him."

tbc


	3. Mendicancy

Chapter 3: Mendicancy

The sensation coming from his stomach area was disorienteeringly pleasant. He would've been surprised if it as much as hurt less than before, but pleasant was decidedly unexpected. Loki basked in the sense impression for a while, half conscious, keeping off from rationalising it. But with the feel of well-being, lucidity slowly starting to return too and he realised that the pleasant sensation originated from a pair of hands, sometimes two pairs, placed on his bare abdomen, casting ceaseless spells to soothe his pain. He was relatively sure that once the hands were gone, he would feel discomfort again. Still not completely cognisant, came his seiðr's reflex reaction to remedy the situation and with it, his magic healing his inflamed insides. And the fact that he could use his abilities for some reason, made him instantly alert and awake, agaze into his mother's apprehensive eyes, with the décor of the healing rooms clearly recognisable behind her, delicate hands set on his stomach still.

"Stay quiescent, my dear," she instructed with a sad smile.

"I don't need assistance," Loki stared pointedly at her hands.

"I know darling. But the moment you are able to use magic like that, you were supposed to be taken back to the dungeons, forthwith."

"I see," Loki sneered, "Odin has devised a special way to torture."

Frigga started, wishing she could differ. But fact was that being in that chamber below made the mage ill and he was only granted as much respite as it would allow him to mend enough to make it possible to incarcerate him again. Potentially, it could be an endless circle of him getting better just to get sick all over again. "You're not well enough yet," she finally conceded, "nobody has to know what you have done a minute ago. Restore your ailment half way and we will play on it for as long as possible."

"And how long could that be?" Loki scoffed, but complied with a wince as he let previous cramps rip through his stomach, "I don't see how either of these options could equal a win situation."

"I'm on your side and always will be. Your condition would deteriorate into a lot worse in a few days if we would let you being taken," Frigga reasoned, "now play the part, Igrun is coming to check on you," she managed to whisper before the healers' overseer reached them. The queen turned to nod at the royal healer, Odin's most trusted. "Loki is awakened."

"How are you feeling, my prince?" A reserved Igrun gave him his dues, but no real warmth.

"A little better than you wish me to," Loki gave his best to ignore her telepathic, investigative powers poking his chest and stomach. While the practice of medicine wasn't the most skilled part of his sorcery, he understood the mechanics of bringing up the illusion of his insides floating above him. It was also not hard to detect the abnormalities on the image, imbalances that were bound to make him and his magic weak, with crude unbalances and a distinct inflammation to his digestive system.

Igrun quickly dissolved the image with a wave and turned to her potion locker, "drink this," she handed him a small bottle with yellow liquid inside, "we need to settle your stomach and then you're ready to go."

"Ready to go where!" Frigga asked horrified, although she knew the answer. She glanced anxiously towards the door where the guards were waiting.

"If the prince can keep the medicine down, he is fit to serve his sentence," the healer nodded in the direction of the vial, urging Loki to follow through.

"He should rest before submitting his body to further hardship," Frigga announced with her chin up and her best authoritative voice.

"I will be back shortly," Igrun gave and retreated, although they all knew the time granted for them wasn't long. The guards would force the medicine down his throat if he didn't take it willingly.

Frigga reached out to get hold of Loki's hand again, lowering her head apologetically, barely able to keep back her tears, "I can't believe this," she shook her head.

"Odin's true colours?" Loki raised his eyebrows knowingly.

"I'm so sorry Loki, I'm sure he will see sense when your condition deteriorates again quickly."

"Dream on, woman," the fallen prince rolled his eyes, but didn't retract his hand from hers. Implications of genetics he did not want to think about. For the few moments they were allowed, he just wanted to enjoy her warmth and closeness he would normally associate with safety and affection.

"Loki, I promise you, I cannot watch you being made to suffer like this. I will change your situation, whatever it takes."

"Do not make promises you cannot keep," the once king looked at her dejectedly, "I'd rather have the wretched truth than any more falsehoods.

"You need to believe there's good in the world, that not everyone discounts and despises you. Have you forgotten what, who and how I am?"

Loki shook his head, "you don't want to end up on the wrong side of Odin. You don't know what he'll do with you."

"Have faith my darling," Frigga frowned at the approaching Igrun. "Please. You don't know how much I need you to," she squeezed his fingers.

Tbc


	4. Cavity

Chapter 4: Cavity

Frigga sighed a breath of relief seeing Loki sitting in the chair by the table, writing something. Now she was openly disregarding her husband's orders not to project into Loki's cell as everyday since the trickster was brought back to the dungeons she had to know if and how much he was alright. "A letter?" She enquired, rounding the table to see what he was working on.

"Spells," Loki scribbled on fervently without looking up. "There has to be a way of converting seiðr into simple equations even a few savvy mortals can use."

"I thought you didn't like Midgardians," Frigga questioned.

"I don't. But if Thanos is coming, they need to know how to fight for the sake of everyone there or any realm. I wanted to ask you if there was a way of getting Thor to give my computations to Tinman. I will write as much as I can while I'm still able."

"How bad is it just now?" The queen asked alarmed, noting now that she was close enough that Loki's other hand was wound round his stomach under the table. "And you will tell me the truth seeing as you value it so much."

"Cramping bad," Loki continued his work as if making off hand predictions about the weather.

"I could ease it a little for you," Frigga suggested the use of her healing powers, "I will come back in the flesh, give me a few minutes."

"Are you sure you can?" The convict nodded in the guards' direction, only a small number of yards away, "I doubt they would let you. Besides, do I really want that? Unless my situation is severe enough, I'm not permitted outside these forcefields. Either way, I'm doomed." Frigga withdrew a little, at a loss. Loki was right and nothing he could say or do, could change the situation.

"But if it makes you feel better," Loki glanced up at her, "you could try."

"I will bring potions and healers as well," Frigga perked up, animated, "we can delay you feeling worse and hurting, you'll see."

"I do not want anyone else to come," the detainee asserted firmly, "anything else, whatever," he waved offhandedly. He really didn't see the point of doing much. Odin's torture was well devised and nicely covert-he would get sick repeatedly and progressively no matter what was done and would not escape the stomach cramps for more than minutes at any time. But he did want to make progress with his work, so a little delay would be welcome.

"As you wish, darling," Frigga hurried to fulfil his wish.

Tbc


	5. Rotation

Chapter 5: Rotation

"You would think you'd get tired of massaging my stomach," Loki commented casually, as if he wouldn't have been having a hard time schooling his reactions to the severe pain his whole abdomen was in.

"It seems to help," Frigga warranted.

"It must be rather boring by now," her patient rationalised. It was the fifth or sixth time he had landed in the healing rooms, having been through the whole cycle of getting better just to get worse, they've nearly lost count. "Not to mention time consuming. Had Allfather not complained about your absence from the throne rooms yet?"

Frigga's hand stilled and she looked at him seriously, "are you strong enough to shield from Heimdall?"

"It doesn't require much effort," Loki assured her, giving her a nod to let her know he had done so.

"I have went through every strategy in my store to convince Odin to stop this harsh punishment, but he is not yielding. Although my belongings are still in his chambers as I am trying to keep up pretences, as of from ten days ago, I do not consider myself his wife and queen. He can't do this to my baby and get away with it."

Loki sat up, roused, disregarding the strain that put on his wearied abdominal muscles and grabbed hold of her hands, "no, you can't do that, putting yourself in danger on my account. His wrath might not know bounds. I am not your baby, remember?"

"I am not insane, Loki," Frigga assured him, "Odin does not know of my decision yet. For the moment, I will have to behave as if I was still his wife, at least at night when I am with him. This conclusion had been a long time coming as we have not seen eye to eye on a number of issues and no matter how many centuries, some of the Asgardian rule I will never get used to. He repulses me with his disrespect of other races, vocations, women.."

The prince closed his eyes, not wanting to think the implications through because people don't tend to think about what their fosterparents do in their bedrooms, but at the same time, his concern for her was not letting the issue go, "has he ever hurt you?" He breathed, voice soft and affectionate, rather than angry for the time being.

"Oh, nothing I can't handle," Frigga tried to waved him off, laughing.

"Why do you protect him if you say he disgusts you?" Loki protested.

"I don't, not anymore. But his overbearing nature in the privacy of our bedroom is not his most aberrant sin. What he's doing to you, is. Which is why we're leaving."

"You plan on springing me from prison, alright," he nodded, "but you leaving Asgard without a queen? Are you sure about this?"

"Loki, this is you helping me just as much as I am helping you as the only place I could disappear to is where you could shield me from Heimdall's eyes. Are you able to do that?"

"If you need to leave," Loki settled, realising the inferences. If his mother wanted away from Odin, the king was more insufferable than he had thought. "Then you shall. Is there a plan?"

"Yes, there's a plan," Frigga glaced around, making sure none of the healers were closer than before, "you don't need to worry about that. All I need you to do is get as strong as possible. We will flee while you're escorted back to prison, when you feel your best, but with the least amount of people around. Keep pretending you're feeling worse than you are and start shielding us from view once we reach the passageway leading to the stairs to the dungeons. Now lie back, they'll think you've recovered too fast and I want you to be better."

"No matter what I do, they'll throw me back downstairs in a matter of hours. Do you not need to pack? Are you certain this is the best moment? We could wait till my next stint in the healing rooms."

"No," Frigga shook her head vehemently, "no more suffering, no more! I catch watch you hurt anymore. I love you too much for that."

Loki closed his eyes, inhaling deeply. He couldn't reciprocate the words spoken It felt good Frigga cared so deeply. She wasn't his mother, but at the moment, he could not determine what he should consider her to be. Friend, no, she was more than a friend. There was a connection between them, reciprocal care, love and regard, even if he couldn't openly acknowledge it. "Thank you," he finally settled on saying before concentrating on his task. He had to organise his energy reserves differently this time, not weaken it so much with healing. He'd rather be in pain, than risk the operation's success.

Tbc


	6. Bombshell

Chapter 6: Bombshell

Loki didn't need to worry about fighting the guards. In chains and ushered by mere four of them, he was supported by the queen as they made their way downwards, not very unlike the previous times. The prince leaned heavily on her, holding his stomach with his other hand and paused and started often, gasping and leaning forward.

"Stop, stop!" Frigga steered him so he could lean on the wall. It was the exact spot her rendezvous with her accomplices was to happen. She turned back to the guards, "please, don't push him. He can't walk. I want one of you to go back to the healing rooms and request another assessment. Loki is too weak to return to the cell."

The guards looked at each other, somewhat mystified, but then the one in the back shrugged and turned back upwards at his comrade's hesitant, but permissive nod. As soon as the Asgardian disappeared out of sight, Frigga gave Loki's hand a squeeze, making him understand it was time to put up the cloak. The trickster straightened as much as his delicate abdomen allowed and disentangled himself from the older woman, ready for a fight.

It never came. As soon as the magical cloaking buffer was up, the Tessaract sparkled into view, held by Thor at one side, the soldier out of his time on the other. The god of thunder swept two guards in one swing of his hammer and the captain did the same to the last remaining one with his shield.

Thor then held his arm out to his mother, "we'd better make haste."

"Loki." Frigga encouraged the hesitant sorcerer by putting an arm around him.

"What is the meaning of this?" Her younger veered somewhat to the side, not refusing the initiative, but not keen on it either.

"Mother gave me your 'magic for mock-ups' pamphlet for advancing to The Avengers," Thor explained, "friend Stark would like your assistance in person. I'm here to ensure your willingness."

"We were given assurances you will not be harmed," Frigga added quickly, hoping to convince Loki before he got offended by Thor's words.

The sorcerer looked at the soldier instead, staring straight ahead and genuine, as Steve always was. "Has everybody agreed on that captain?"

"Fury and Clint has not been informed, for obvious reasons," Cap admitted, frowning, "but Bruce and Tony are eager."

"And the Red?"

"Natasha would like a chance to kick your behind in person as she keeps missing it," Steve supplied.

"We need to haste, not converse," Thor advised, stepping forward to grab Loki's arm with his free hand. "Apologies brother, I need to hold onto you for the journey with the Tessaract," he added, anticipating Loki objecting to being touched.

The younger prince gave a grunt, but his protestations were otherwise non-existent, he leaned on the offered hand instead. Thor could feel the smaller body's shaking, the unstable stance. He didn't have time to contemplate on it however. He nodded to the captain and they activated their transport mechanism. "Mother!" Thor managed to protest before their bodies were sucked into a branch of Yggdrasil and hurtled across the universe.

"What are you doing here on Midgard!" Mjolnir's owner exclaimed once they've landed safely in Iron Man's workshop, Frigga having held on to Steve's arm for the jump.

"I will explain everything to you darling, now we must attend to your brother," Frigga rushed over to support the unsteady Loki, still heavily leaning onto Thor. His older brother was now having to balance him with both hands.

"Lower him down to the floor," the queen instructed, stepping behind the younger one of her sons so she could prop up his head once lying down.

"What's wrong with him?" Tony raised his eyebrows and stepped forward to squat at the Asgardians' level.

"I have no idea friend Stark," Thor looked surprised.

"Your father's torture," Frigga hissed, "and a deceitful, covert one at that. Yes, your well esteemed allfather," she emphasized at the golden boy's incredulous face. "Openly he did not deal grave punishment to his son, who is for all intents and purposes still the prince in the knowledge of the commoner, but he made sure Loki was in an environment that would make him critically ill and suffering. I had to get him out of there Thor."

"Does that mean our prearrangement regarding the passing on of mojo data is not as valid as we have thought?" The bearded man enquired suspiciously. "I'm Tony Stark, by the way and you're in my tower," the billionaire regarded the troubled woman.

"My son will carry out the agreement honourably like a true prince should as soon as he is able," Frigga ascertained firmly, "now where are your healers?" She queried, somewhere between pleading and demanding.

"Jarvis. What is Reindeer Games' status?" Tony inquired.

"Blood pressure 70/54, tachycardic, barely conscious. Temperature in the range of Mr. Thor Odinson's. Slight tremors with moderate dehydration. Extensive inflammation of the digestive system with nonfatal bleeding ulcers in the stomach and duodenum," the computer reported, "no foreign organisms present, cause of illness undetermined."

"Healers' methods are quite different here," Thor nodded encouragingly at his startled mother.

"Well, healer, do something," Tony waved Bruce over, somewhat amused.

"My name is Dr. Bruce Banner," the scientist stepped over to the patient still half in Thor's arms and half on the floor. "I will do everything in my power to make your son better," he assured Frigga, "but knowing the cause of his condition exactly would be beneficial. Did you say covert torture?" He probed, a little at a loss as the symptoms didn't quite add up.

"The magic keeping him captive was making him ill, interfering with his being, giving him headaches, stomach cramps and making him unable to eat anything. My husband knew this, but never strived to change the composition of the spell. He subjected Loki to it over and over and to the limit of his capabilities to cope with it every time."

"How long has this been going on?" Tony solicited grimly while Bruce made to feel the pulse.

"From the moment he was caged," Frigga sighed, clasping her fingers together fretfully.

"Sorry to be so direct, Your Highness," Steve ventured politely, "but why?"

"My husband has gone self-justifying, defensive, distrustful and defensive over the years," Frigga sighed, "I'm afraid he isn't completely dependable anymore."

"I'm guessing he won't be very happy with this little move?" Tony raised his eyebrows.

"My son is shielding his whereabouts and all happenstances in relation to it," Frigga glanced at her youngest, being lifted by Bruce and Steve onto a stretcher Jarvis produced from somewhere. "We have time."

"While unconsious?" Natasha questioned.

"Yes, he will be," the queen asserted, looking somewhat unsure all the same. "But I'm not certain how long will he be strong enough to do so if he is not getting aided to heal and rest. In the meantime, not with magecraft of Thanos' level, but I am able to provide you with a fair amount of the knowledge you seek and asked us here for."

"In that case, my lab is this way," Tony made a wide gesture with an arm, showing the way.

"I will ensure that Loki gets the care he needs," Thor promised, nodding encouragingly towards his mother. The Asgardian woman smiled back, took Loki's hand into her own for a last reassuring squeeze, then followed the inventor.

Tbc


	7. Evaluation

Chapter 7: Evaluation

"What is it Tony?" Bruce grumbled, throwing his latex gloves into a pedal bin, "why did you order me here? I'm busy."

"Lighten up big guy, I just wanted to compare notes."

"You could've just asked Jarvis."

"Are you so infatuated with Rock of Ages that you can't leave him for a moment?"

"I can't leave him for a moment because his electrolyte levels keep bouncing all over the place, his fever is up and I might just have to consider abdominal surgery to take out parts of his intestines as the infection is not responding to noninvasive treatment."

"So you're intending to disembowel him," Tony interpreted.

"I am having trouble filling our part of the bargain," Bruce glared at his insensitive lab partner.

"I thought simply removing him from Odin's spell would make him better."

"It should, but his own healing magic can't kick in if he's in such a critical condition."

"You don't want to tell me your treatment methods are killing the immortal god?" Tony teased.

"It is possible," Bruce allowed grimly, "without proper knowledge of his anatomy, I might be doing him more harm than good. I might be taking out something he can't live without. Which are the vital organs of a Frost Giant? Do you know?"

"Why don't you ask him?"

"If he even knows. According to Thor, none of them have substantial knowledge regarding Frost Giant biology."

"Wake him up," Tony advocated.

"I'm having trouble keeping him as much as comfortable when he's not drugged up elephant doses that knock him out."

"But isn't this important enough to wake him up?"

"What is it you want Tony?" Bruce turned towards the billionaire suspiciously, "what's the sudden interest in the enemy's wellbeing?"

"No reason," the suit wearing hero shrugged.

"You want to speak to him, right?"

"Well, there are certain things that need looked at, whether sleeping beauty feels like it or not."

"How important are these?" Bruce sighed.

Tony touched the screen the other scientist was looking at Loki's vitals on and after a few quick taps a completely different picture came up, one that Bruce could identify as a panoramic view of a multitude of swirling galaxies. "The parts of the universe that are known to humankind," Tony specified. He brought up another slide to the side, "this is a picture of the background I had the suit take when I was at the other side of the wormhole. Jarvis looked at it from all angles, and it appears it was a part of the universe humanity has not discovered yet. So far, not very surprising. Now as we know, it is presumed by what we were told that immense power bearing so called magical or supernatural forces, for a lack of term, were behind orchestrating the attack who gave Loki the sceptre, so I thought of measuring the energy emittance of entire electromagnetic spectrum from the low-frequency infrared through the visible light spectrum, into high-frequency ultraviolet energy, and on to x-rays and gamma rays. I found unexplainable fluctuations of energy levels consistent with well known studied paranormal events, but on an exponential level. To my surprise, I took similar readings originating from Z8 GND 5296, Abell 370, Centaurus A, Seyfert 2, Mayall's Object, the Large Magellanic Cloud, Cygnus A…"

"I get the picture, a lot of places in the universe apparently house wielders of what we call magic, for lack of a better term," Bruce interjected, going along with the other scientists' terminology,"but while we now know that distance is not a problem when you travel by bifrost, those energy readings would date some good lightyears."

"Yes, but I made a three dimensional model of the locations of the spikes in readings."

"You would," Bruce gave sceptically.

"All the locations add up to look like a giant, unfinished funnel and if you append the tip, that point in the universe would be somewhere just circa 11.5 million kms behind Jupiter."

"Our Jupiter," the doctor felt like identifying.

Tony nodded sternly, "call it a hunch, but it's not a coincidence. There are fluctuations there, nothing like the level measured in other systems, but something tells me there soon will be and I'm not talking a few lightyears soon. I need Loki to tell if I'm right. He should be able to sense what we measure."

"Is Frigga no use?"

"She confirmed magic works by tapping into our known, existing energy sources around us to manifest in our reality and disrupt the natural or background energy levels. But no, she is not skilful enough in the area to recognise Thanos' signature as she is not familiar with it. Loki needs to tell us if this attack is as imminent as I fear it might be and if so, what chances do we have."

"What I fear is that you aren't being a drama queen when you ask me to rouse Loki," Bruce rubbed his neck, "I need you to wait here. When I get him coherent and articulate, Jarvis will let you know," he took towards the medical facilities.

"Will this be, you know, any time soon?" Tony called after him on tiptoes, knowing Bruce will not grant his annoying self an answer, but he would trust the doctor anyway.

Tbc


	8. Groundwork

Chapter 8: Groundwork

"I thought you were busy with a patient," Tony grumbled when he saw Bruce emerging into his living room.

"Said patient is on the verge of a serious panic attack if I don't deliver you to him immediately," the doctor announced.

"Loki wants to play?" The inventor stood up, ready to follow, "what happened?"

"He's not interested in the treatment options I offered for one," Bruce complained as the two scientists started walking down the corridor, "I tried to show him your projections but he freaked out way before I could explain anything. He says Thanos isn't coming but he is here."

"Where here?" Tony raised his eyebrows guardedly.

"This realm where he pops about freely, by what I can understand from feverish ramblings? You need to calm him down, Tony."

"I thought you were the keep cool and composed counting expert," the owner of the building countered as they rounded the door Bruce opened. "Hey there Lokes," Tony greeted pretend cheerfully.

The demigod sitting up against propped up pillows slowly lifted his head, looking around a little disoriented, shaken out his thought-world, "Stark?" He wheezed uncertainly, trying to improve the vision of his sweat blurred eyes by a shaky movement of his head.

"The one and only. Well, there are approximately 40,000 Starks just in the US and about 150 Anthony Starks, Jarvis could give you exact numbers, but you know what I mean." Loki stared, then shook his head dazedly, surprising Tony a little. The magnate was used to the trickster being sharp, even right after being beaten to a pulp by the Hulk. "Well, it doesn't matter," he reconciled, more in tune with the situation and why Bruce had been so defensive about his patient, "how are we feeling Reindeer Games?" He grinned good naturedly.

"I will concentrate," Loki promised, the cadence of his speech slow, telling of his struggle to do as he vowed, "I should be able to perform some simple magic you could measure in terms you can record, understand and perhaps reproduce?"

"Probably," Tony allowed, "go ahead."

Loki closed his eyes, sighed and leant back onto his pillows, "I would prefer if I only had to do this once. I understand there's so apparatus involved?"

"Jarvis can measure any time," Tony assured him once more.

Loki nodded and fell silent, but the curious tycoon noticed the god's fists tightening, his lips thinning, the shaking of his slender frame increasing, and so did Bruce, in tune with a patient's needs. "Loki, I believe we could give you some more morphine, your breathing seems satisfactory enough to tolerate it, but let me check your pupils," he stepped forward, picking up the medical pen torch.

The mage held up a hand to stop him and just in time. Otherwise Bruce would've tripped over the stacks of numerous objects that were piling on the floor of the room all of a sudden. "Ehrm, I think coins are the future, but never mind," Tony commented at the dozens of gold bars littering his medical facilities.

Not too distracted by the obstacles, Bruce managed to make it to his patient to hand him the sick bowl he was angling for. "Did you…measure…that?" Loki wheezed in between splashes into the container.

"Could you not have done something smaller that didn't upset your stomach?" Bruce grumbled, helping the invalid sit back up.

"Oh, no, I liked that," Tony waved him off, cradling one of heavy objects he lifted from the floor, "it's not the money of course, then again.."

"I'm sorry to interrupt," the A.I.'s pleasant voice filled the room, "but there has been an attack on S.H.I.E.L.D. Decidedly alien. We cannot identify a weapon, but everyone who wasn't underground at Triskelion is dead. I suggest the new Endo-Sym suit for the outing." The item flew in the door and opened to be put on.

"You can't fight Thanos. Not like that." Loki wrestled with his covers agitatedly to get his legs out from under them, "he isn't like anybody else you've confronted."

"You or Thor wasn't either," Tony was trying to pass off as buoyant.

"The helicopter is also ready for Dr. Banner on the roof," Jarvis announced.

"You are doing a much better service for the future of the human race if you stay," Loki ascertained, finally sitting up on the side of his bed with his legs on the floor, close enough for the heart monitor screen to tap on it with a finger, "could you show me those readings on this again and the new measurements you made when I handled magic?"

"By all means," Tony waved Jarvis his authorization as the automatic suiting up engulfed him.

"I do not understand the parameters you use, but now that I have a good point of reference to compare to, I can transcribe the formula of the magic needed to fight Thanos in these sorts of figures you can understand."

"Well, do it quick, Jarvis will relay the information," Iron Man lifted from the ground, "Bruce, there's no time for you little motorbike routine," he disapproved of the doctor still in the middle of administering pain killers through the IV line.

"The other guy can make his own way promptly," Bruce assured, "I think I will stay to make sure the calculations can be completed before Loki passed out?" He raised his eyebrows for emphasis.

Tbc


	9. Surrogate

Chapter 9: Surrogate

"Tony, I need a word," Bruce's insistent voice came through Iron Man's sound systems.

"I need a word too," Tony grumbled, shooting out a multitude of projectiles at the invisible force field of sorts that surrounded the alien ship descending from the skies, "when will the Hulk be available and can Loki do a counterfrequency for this voodoo."

"Jarvis is sending over the data that there is right now and I'm coming."

"What you mean data there is? Do we have it or do we not?" Tony argued impatiently.

"I'm not sure how accurate it will be. I had to put Loki on a ventilator, but he said before that you need to set up three energy sources to form a triangle round him using Arcadian stones to originate from. Nobody can ever kill Thanos, rumour has it that, but you can trap him."

"Are you kidding me!" Tony scanned through the data relayed to his visor. "What the fuck are Arcadian stones? Not to mention the energy required to initiate such electromagnetical disturbances is equivalent to the US' entire consumption and that's just one point of the triangle!"

"Do you have connections to make that possible?" Steve's voice interrupted the conversation.

"Fury will be more able quicker," Tony asserted.

"Fury is dead," Captain America announced.

"Are you sure? Cause you were mistaken before," the red armoured superhero probed.

"Nobody can survive…this," Steve sounded like he made an involuntary gagging sound. "Clint too."

Tony momentarily paused in targeting his missiles and the result was him being knocked off course, draining 29% of the suit's energy reserves. He fine-tuned his manoeuvres once more as he heard the Hulk's wrathful roar. "I can do this. I will do this," the normally red clad superhero urged himself, "where is Thor?"

"He's bouncing back and forth to Asgard a dozen times over with the Tessaract to try to confuse Thanos, or at least cause him to always be a step behind. There are many casualties over there too." Cap filled him in once more, "he's fighting on two fronts at the same time and so is Frigga."

"What's his current status? Asgard or Earth?"

"Asgard."

"Next time he is back, I want to be notified, we need to ask him about those Arcadian stones."

"How are you holding up your end?" Tony enquired.

"I have Sam and Bucky just appeared. I'm good." Despite all the adversity, there was some degree of elation in his voice at having his best friend fight side by side with him once more.

"Cap, listen to me. I need you to be on standby for when we can set up perimeters for the ploy. You take one point of the triangle, I take another and perhaps Thor or Natasha can set up the last one."

"You can count on us," the Captain assured him before stepping out from behind a wall to concentrate on the aliens again.

Tbc


	10. Knuckle

Chapter 10: Knuckle Down

Natasha had to jump over the bodies of dark elves, Chitauri, Sakaaran, Kronan and a few Frost Giants she had slain to reach the coordinates Jarvis had previously given her. She could feel the slightly annoying electrical impulses emanating from the little, ordinary looking pebble she had in her pocket, a so called Arcadian stone Thor brought back from Asgard and had given to her after he was incapacitated by a Kronan mercenary. With a leg that would certainly need amputated if he would've been human and broken arms that were uncapable of holding anything, never mind Mjolnir, he had to give the responsibility over to the woman Avenger. The other stones were already in place at the cost of thousands of human and Asgardian lives including NATO military forces, Odin and the Warriors Three and they didn't even know if the plan would work or if they could trust Loki. There was only one way to find out, but her route was suddenly blocked by the imposing bulk of Thanos himself, showing himself for the first time in person. Good, it was roundabout where they wanted him to be anyway.

"How many more lives are you willing to sacrifice for the Tessaract?" The Titan's voice boomed in their heads at the same time as he decapiated Sif with telekinetic powers to demonstrate his meaning. Next, it was Natasha dangling in the air, feeling like being suffocated and pounded from all angles. "The Tessaract for this maiden's life, the thick price's life, all of your lives?"

"How about no more?" Loki's impish voice made everyone turn to a few feet away, by the ruins of the Triskelion, leaning on the hilt of a sword.

"You came to deliver?" Thanos span drawn and a little amused.

"Yes," Loki pulled the Tessaract itself out of mid air, "all I ask is to be esteemed as your loyal servant."

"Wise move princeling," Thanos sanctioned, moving towards his prize.

"Miss Romanova," Loki gave her the clue what he wanted her to do at the same time as undoing the spell Thanos had her under, tendrils of green magic not just setting her free, but enabling her to reach extra speed as she rounded the corner to set the final stone of the triangle.

Thanos roared his ire at the feeling of prison walls appearing around him and understood the trick immediately, taking to physically pouncing on Loki as opposed to using his powers like he had usually done. The Tessaract appeared safe out of his reach and outside the triangle next to Thor just as the trickster was tackled to the ground and pounded with a massive, robust fist. It was partly why the mutant preferred to use his powers, his fist could pulverise some adversaries in an instant, leaving him dissatisfied without the chance to play with his prey.

"Loki! Number 24!" Thor shouted, willing a broken arm to work till as long he could swing a hammer just once.

Barely visible under the huge creature, Loki raised a hand, hoping Thor's aim wasn't off as number 24 was one of the many battle configurations they have used for centuries when fighting together, the one where he had to hold his hand out for the leather lanyard attached to mjolnir as it flew past him so the momentum of the weapon he was not able to wield of his own would yank him out of wherever he was.

Thor fell back with a grunt, but his eyes never left the path of his hammer as it slid to a halt on the ground and outside the perimeter of the trap, with Loki hanging on to it, a thick trail of blood behind him. Thanos looked up and pounced once more, the legs of the trickster still inside the large triangle and in their common enemy's reach. The Hulk was faster however, outsized fingers grabbing hold of Loki's cape and pulling him to the safety of his lap as gently as anybody has ever seen the brute act. The beast was already changing back to his human form, fingers at work to clamp exposed arteries in Loki's chest.

Thanos bounded back from the magical forcefield, setting off explosions inside the triangle, but not outside, while powerlines hummed and sparkled everywhere. "Power at 1500%", Tony's A.I. reported, "national energy supplies at 200%."

"My brother. Get me to my brother," the injured blond god appealed to the billionaire arriving at his side.

"I suggest you wait till the paramedics come to move you," Tony advised, looking around. By the state of the streets and wounded people everywhere, they might have to wait a while.

The battle was over.

Tbc


	11. Coda

Chapter 11: Coda

"Who would've thought we'd be invited to a coronation," Tony mused, standing with Bruce. Steve and Natasha were holding hands a bit further away and Bucky seemed a bit irritated, still affected in positions where he had to be social, but they all had VIP positions just to the right of the throne of Asgard on the steps. In the hall, reduced numbers of mourning Asgardians pledged their allegiance to their new king, a crowd of mainly older men, youngsters and women who would never forget the Avengers who saved them from almost certain Ragnarok and the mage who had orchestrated it all, Prince Loki.

The trickster, not strong enough yet to stand for lengthy periods of time, was seated on a cushioned bench on the throne's right, with his mother next to him to provide further support if needed. "Do you think he will still cooperate? With him being all highty and fully regaliad again?" Tony asked his scientist friend, making up new words again as Thor had finished his speech and concluded his promises to his homeland.

"Yes," Bruce ascertained firmly, "you don't know him as I do."

"You best pals now?" Tony rolled his eyes.

"No, but spending weeks with a patient tends to help you get the picture. Like all of us, he still counts Thanos as a threat and his confinement seems to depend on cooperation between our species. But most importantly, he wants to impress his mother. He would do anything for her appreciation. That would be my psych evaluation if you wanted one."

"Apart from him probably being the most powerful magical person in the known universe after Thanos? If he wants anything, it would be so that we can keep the mutant confined."

"My Lord Loki would like you to follow me," a servant approached them, nodding at Stark.

"Where? Before the banquetlike thing fête? Where is he?" Tony looked at the empty bench.

"He teleported ahead, sir," the servant explained.

"It's easier for him to teleport than to walk," Bruce clarified, nodding encouragingly at Tony.

"This way," the servant led him through a hole in the wall of the great hall, down a corridor and up a flight stairs.

"This really can't wait till after we get drunk?" Tony grumbled when shown through a door into a small room lined haphazardly with books by the walls.

"I don't categorically see you as the social type," Loki pointed to a collection of different bottles of alcohol by the table he sat, "please choose your poison."

"Well, which one would you recommend?" The magnate sighed, accepting the detour for the time being.

"Ljósálfar or Vanir wine is always different combinations of spicy and floral. I prefer Ynglinga from the hills of Edda where my mother is from for its sweetness and slow release of fine, zesty flavour that can last for hours. But you may like Dailus. Something alike to a tang between your absinthe and your bourbon."

"I could try all," Tony sat on the only other available chair by the small, velvet covered table.

"I wouldn't recommend it unless you master the trick of instantly breaking down the harmful components of alcohol by magic."

"Weren't you supposed to teach me magic?"

"Giving you the exact frequency, as you call it, of every trick would be very tiresome," Loki reasoned. "If you indeed are going to use your technology for it the way you use it for flying, you need to start with the basics and work out more complex tricks from there. I have never signed up to be your scribe."

"I wouldn't have it any other way than what you suggest. I'm a scientist, not a blind automaton."

"In that case, you don't mind talking about certain Infinity Gems and their possible composition of what you call antimatter," Loki poured some of the previously offered wine out for Tony.

"And we're talking about that on the account of basics? I'm game, but you know there are very few people on Earth you could talk to about antimatter as a basic concept, right?" The human crowed.

"Basics," Loki waved his hand around the room, "manuscripts, tones and volumes of rudimentary magic. I had them all brought here for you, but I trust you can read on your own. What I need is a partner, one who can deliver when it matters. It was you and me who saved Midgard and Asgard was it not? I was the brains, you were the power."

"Well, there were others, and I'd say I used my brain quite a lot, but it theory, I wouldn't disagree," Tony admitted.

"I get some Gems, you get your green energy sources, well-nigh unlimited. Does that sound in any way satisfactory to you?"

"Hm. In certain circumstances, it just might," Tony leaned back to savour his wine.

The End.


	12. Notes

Hey all,

I was going to answer you one by one but then it's easier this way, especially that there were anonymous reviews.

You are all totally right, the story was rushed cause somewhere around the middle of the story I fell out of love with Loki/Tom. But I thought a rushed story is still better than an unfinished one.

Sorry for the disappointment, next story is about my new love, Thranduil.


End file.
